Edinburgh Uncorked at Christmas

We had a great evening on Monday trying a host of wines I'd selected from retailers in and around Edinburgh which were either on special offer or offering exceptional value for money.

We normally taste 6 wines but being Christmas and there were so many to choose and we had a few extras! All the wines were winners, some more than others so I thought it would be fun to share them further in case you're looking for some inspiration.

Everyone was asked to score each wine out of 5 points. The scores below show the average for each wine.

Crémant d'Alsace, Brut NV, France - £8.29 in Lidl (Festive Wine Tour) SCORED 4

This is one of Lidl’s well known “When it’s gone it’s gone” and from the reaction at our workshop I doubt it’ll last on the shelves for long.  Fantastic value for a Crémant d’Alsace – as with all Crémant this has been made in the traditional sparkling wine method and is a complete steal.

Villa Sandi Fresco Spumante Prosecco Brut NV, Veneto, Italy -  £13.99 or £12.59 in Goldenacre Wines if you mention Edinburgh Uncorked or use the code Fizzfeast10 before 16 December SCORED 3

One of the most well known and well respected Prosecco producers and available at the fabulous Goldenacre Wines – a true treasure trove found at the back of Uthay Soundararajan’s Costcutter at Goldenacre.  Also offering superb value this much loved Prosecco is normally well over £15.

Comte de Senneval, Champagne Brut NV, France - £11.49 in Lidl (not just for Christmas!) SCORED 4

This is arguably the best value for money Champagne available on the market and with the added benefit that although it’s effectively a supermarket own label it doesn’t scream this out on the label.  Perfect for serving at parties!

Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Chile normally £11.99, currently £8.99 in Waitrose SCORED 3.5

One of the guests at our workshop went in search of this but it appeared to have sold out already in her local Waitrose.  However, it should be back in stock now.  This is a great Sauvignon Blanc especially for non-Sauvignon Blanc fans since it benefitted from a few months on the lees after fermentation which gives more complexity and a softer character to the wine yet retains it's delicious freshness.  A true crowd pleaser and an incredible price!

Bread & Butter Chardonnay, Napa, California 2017, USA - was £15.99, currently £10.99 in Majestic SCORED 3 (those who liked it all scored it 4.5 or 5)

I’ve presented “Marmite” wines before but never had such a diverse reaction as I had to this!  Some (thankfully the majority) absolutely loved it and several sadly didn’t.  If you liked Aussie Chardonnay in the late 80’s, early 90’s but like so many became bored of the over-oaked style then try this!  It’s definitely a full-bodied Chardonnay but has great finesse and elegance and is dangerously moreish.  Not surprisingly it's Majestic's 6th best selling wine.

Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet, Hawkes Bay 2016, New Zealand - down from £9.50 to £8.00 in Asda SCORED 3

From the famed stable of Villa Maria this wine was bound to be popular.  Another great crowd pleaser it's delicous on its own or it'll stand up to many dishes.  Easy drinking with juicy blackcurrants and soft tannins what’s not to like?

Cune Rioja Reserva 2015, Spain - normally £13.99 with the following tempting offers available in Asda (£9), Majestic (£9.99), Waitrose (£13.49) SCORED 4

Everybody loves Cune and this Reserva which has benefitted from 18 months in both French and American oak barrels followed by 18 months in bottle rather than the standard 12 months was certainly no exception.  Packed with rich, ripe fruit and balanced by elegant tannins this will suit almost every festive meal – turkey, beef, goose and even Christmas pudding!

Tesco Finest Châteauneuf du Pape, Rhône 2016, France - £18.00 in Tesco SCORED 4.5

Incredible value for Southern Rhône’s famous Châteauneuf du Pape commune. It’s not surprising that this is renowned amongst Rhône lovers for proving to be perhaps the best value and quality Châteauneuf du Pape on the market.  Powerful, yet elegant it’s well worth decanting – and maybe sneaking the bottle away so no one sees it’s a supermarket own label!

Pillitteri Estates Winery Riesling Ice Wine, Niagara-on-the-Lake 2017, Canada - £13.99 (375ml) in Lidl (Festive Wine Tour) SCORED 5

How Lidl manages to offer this wine at this ridiculous price is a mystery!  Selling for the equivalent of £32 in Canada this has to be one of the best value Canadian Ice Wines in the world!  2017 was also a superb vintage and but not much was made in 2018 so you might need to wait another couple of years to find another bottle.  If you can still get your hands on it, you’ll not be disappointed and if you can bear to give it away then it’ll make a great present.  Alternatively, if you somehow don’t manage to open it over Christmas it’ll just keep improving for years.

Look out in January for news about the Edinburgh Uncorked Wine Fair taking place on Saturday 30 May. If you're not already on the Wine Events Scotland mailing list sign up to be amongst the first to hear about it here.